Ban for East Lancs drink driver who caused two crashes in a day

A DRIVER who caused two smashes in one day on the same road was almost three times the limit in one, and was caught for the other because of his distinctive silver tooth, a court heard.

Serial uninsured motorist Raheem Hussain, 29, ran into the back of a woman’s car, causing her to suffer whip-lash, in Blackburn Road, Rising Bridge, at about 5pm. He claimed it wasn’t him, but the victim told police about his tooth.

Burnley magistrates were told how, just before midnight, after a drinking session with a friend, Hussain lost control of his Toyota Corolla, crashed into a lamppost, and had to be taken to hospital.

He then claimed he had been the passenger, but was rumbled by forensic evidence on the airbag.

Hussain, of Higher Antley Street, Accrington, had admitted falling to give information about the identification of a driver, having no insurance, and driving without due care and attention at Rising Bridge roundabout, last September 19.

He denied drink-driving, failing to report an accident, failing to stop, and no insur-ance over the second collision, but was convicted.

Hussain, who has previous convictions for excess alcohol and banned driving, was sentenced to 18 weeks in custody, suspended for 18 months, with 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was banned for four years, and must pay £200 costs, and an £80 victim surcharge.

The bench told him: “You are very lucky today that you have got a suspended sentence.”

David Hartley, prosecuting, said Hussain collided with the woman at the roundabout. She gave police details about the silver tooth in the right side of his mouth.

Hussain claimed he had lent the car to an old university friend, but didn’t know his surname, or where he lived.

Mr Hartley said: “The defendant clearly did have a silver tooth.”

The prosecutor said after 11pm, Hussain hit a lamppost and some mental fencing at the Shell service station.

He was breath tested, gave a positive sample and was taken to hospital. Hussain then provided blood and the spec-imen revealed 237 microg-rams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80.

Hussain was convicted of drink-driving in March 2010, and driving while disqualified in 2011. It was the fourth time he had been convicted of no insurance.

Paul Huxley, for Hussain, said: “It had not been a very good 24 hours for him at all.”